Stepper and change dispenser for a coin changer

ABSTRACT

A STEPPER FOR A COIN CHANGER COMPRISES A RATCHET WHEEL HAVING A SWITCH ACTUATING PIN MOUNTED THEREON. THE RATCHET WHEEL IS BIASED TO AN INITIAL POSITION AND IS MOVED THEREFROM BY COIN-OPERATED DOGS. IT IS HELD AGAINST PREMATURE RETURN MOVEMENT BY A SPRING-URGED PAWL. A ROLLER MOUNTED ON THE RATCHET WHEEL PUSHES THE PAWL AWAY AS THE RATCHET WHEEL IS MOVED THE LAST STEP REQUIRED TO INITATE A VEND CYCLE. A LATCH BAR HOLDS THE PAWL AWAY TO ALLOW THE WHEEL TO RETURN TO ITS INITIAL POSITION. AS THE WHEEL DOES SO, A TRIP MEMBER THEREON STRIKES A RELEASE   MEMBER WHICH LIFTS THE LATCH BAR TO ALLOW THE PAWL TO RE-ENGAGE THE WHEEL. CHANGE IS DISPENSED, WHEN REQUIRED, BY AN APERTURED SLIDE RECIPROCABLE TO RECEIVE CHANGE FROM TUBES AND DELIVER IT TO A CHANGE CHUTE. A SPRING ROD IS INCORPORATED IN THE DRIVE TO THE SLIDE SO THAT THE MOTOR FOR DRIVING THE SLIDE MAY OPERATE EVEN WHEN THE SLIDE IS STUCK AND THE SLIDE MAY BE RECIPROCATED BY HAND WITHOUT ACTUATING THE MOTOR.

Sept. 20, 1971 w. M. STEWART STEPPER AND CHANGE DISPENSER FOR A COINCHANGER Filed July 8. 1969 INVENTOR WILSON M. STEWART m A2 5 ATTORNEYS.

3 Sheets-Sheet l Se t. 20, 1971 w. M. STEWART STEPPER AND CHANGEDISPENSER FOR A COIN CHANGER Filed July 8, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR LSON M. STEWART ATTORNEYS.

sqfl. 20, 1971 w STEWART 3,605,972

STEPPER AND CHANGE DISPENSER FOR A COIN CHANGER Filed July 8, 1969 3Sheets-Sheet :5

FIGS.

FIG.6.

INVENTOR WILSON M. STEWART ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 20, 1971 3,605,972 STEPPER AND CHANGE DISPENSER FOR ACOIN CHANGER Wilson M. Stewart, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, assignor toVendall Machines Limited, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Filed July 8, 1969,Ser. No. 839,857 Claims priority, application Canada, May 9, 1969,

Int. or. (07: 11/00 U.S. Cl. 194-10 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREA stepper for a coin changer comprises a ratchet wheel having a switchactuating pin mounted thereon. The ratchet wheel is biased to an initialposition and is moved therefrom by coin-operated dogs. It is heldagainst premature return movement by a spring-urged pawl. A rollermounted on the ratchet wheel pushes the pawl away as the ratchet wheelis moved the last step required to initiate a vend cycle. A latch barholds the pawl away to allow the wheel to return to its initialposition. As the wheel does so, a trip member thereon strikes a releasemember which lifts the latch bar to allow the pawl to re-engage thewheel.

Change is dispensed, when required, by an apertured slide reciprocableto receive change from tubes and deliver it to a change chute. A springrod is incorporated in the drive to the slide so that the motor fordriving the slide may operate even when the slide is stuck and the slidemay be reciprocated by hand without actuating the motor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to mechanism for usein a coinoperated vending machine to register the amount of moneyinserted, to initiate the delivery of an article to a purchaser onreceipt in the machine of coinage at least equal in value to the articlebeing sold by the machine, and to initiate the dispensing of change whennecessary. Such mechanisms are commonly known in the art as stepperssince they will advance one or more steps depending on the value of acoin inserted in the machine.

It has been common practice in the vending machine industry to useelectrical steppers which have a ring of stationary contacts and a ringof movable contacts mounted on a rotatable wafer and cooperating withthe stationary contacts as the wafer is rotated. Such electricalsteppers, however, have been found unsatisfactory since for each vendingcycle the wafer has to rotate completely to its home or initial positionand this results in excessive wear on the contacts, as well as involvingactivation of the motor which is primarily intended for use indispensing change. Moreover, such steppers are delicate and can be putout of service by dirt entering between the contacts or metal particlesbridging the contacts or the wafer being out of phase. Accordingly,efforts have been made to replace such electrical steppers by mechanicalsteppers. Such efforts, however, have not proved to be entirelysuccessful since delicate contacts have formed part of the stepper andthe motor still has to be activated during each vending cycle to restorethe stepper to its original position, whether or not change is to bepaid out.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide animproved stepping mechanism which is more rugged than hitherto knownsteppers, which does not have to rely upon the motor to return it to itsoriginal position, does not utilize a delicate electrical contactarrangement and which is simple to manufacture, install and service.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In known machines the steppers areactuated by all coins inserted into the machine but the presentinvention can provide for bypassing of the stepper by largerdenomination coins, thus preserving the stepper for use with smallerdenomination coins only and prolonging the life of the stepper.

The invention basically resides in the fact that a movable member, whichis biased to a first or initial position, is moved by coins passingthrough the machine away from said position in one direction to initiatethe 'vending and, if necessary, change dispensing cycles and is allowedto return in the opposite direction to said first position.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the stepper mechanismcomprises a ratchet wheel, a switch-actuating member on said wheel,means biasing the ratchet wheel in one direction about its axis,coin-actuated dog means for moving the ratchet wheel in the oppositedirection, a pawl engageable with teeth on said ratchet wheel forholding the wheel against return movement in said one direction, meansbiasing said pawl toward the ratchet wheel, a means on said ratchetwheel adapted to engage said pawl and move it away from the ratchetwheel as the ratchet wheel is rotated in said opposite direction apredetermined angular amount, holding means for engaging said pawl andholding it away from said ratchet wheel, release means for releasingsaid holding means, and trip means on said ratchet wheel for actuatingsaid release means in a predetermined position of said wheel to allowsaid pawl to return into engagement with the ratchet wheel.

The trip means preferably comprises a member adjustably mounted on theratchet wheel, whereby the cost of purchasing an article from themachine may be varied.

The stepper mechanism of the preferred embodiment may be used incombination with a first switch adapted to be actuated by saidswitch-actuating member to initate the vending of an article by themachine after said member has been moved a predetermined amount, and asecond switch adapted to be actuated after said member has been moved afuther predetermined amount to initate the dispensing of change by themachine. Such combination may include change dispensing mechanism havinga slide movable to alter the amount of change to be dispensed, a motorfor driving said change dispensing mechanism, a first solenoid adaptedto be energized to start said motor by actuation of a third switch uponactuation of said second switch, and a second solenoid adapted to beenergised to move said slide upon actuation of said second switch. Thecombination may also include a further switch-actuating member adaptedto be moved by a larger denomination coin passing through the machine,and stop means for limiting the movement of said furtherswitch-actuating member so that it may actuate the first switch but notthe second switch, said third switch being in the path of travel of thelarger denomination coin, the arrangement being such that the largerdenomination coin may actuate the first and third switches withoutactuating the stepper mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The presently preferred embodiment of theinvention will now be described, by way of example, with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the stepper;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of a coin changer in which the stepper isinstalled, some parts of the changer being omitted for the sake ofclarity;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the changer;

FIG. 4 is a sectional plan view of the coin changer;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The coin changer, which isadapted to be mounted in known manner in a vending machine and to havecoins fed thereto, again in known manner, from a coin sorter, has a mainframe 1 including a vertically extending lower plate portion 2, avertically extending upper plate portion 3, spaced rearwardly of portion2, and a horizontally extending plate portion 4 extending between theupper edge of portion 2 and the lower edge of portion 3. The plateportion 2 has mounted thereon three plates 5, 6 and 7 which, togetherwith plate 2, define passages for the coins entering the changer. Thus,plates 2 and define between them a passage 8 for twenty-five cent piecesor quarters, plates 5 and 6 define between them a passage 9 for ten-centpieces or dimes and plates 6 and 7 define between them a passage 10 forfive-cent pieces or nickels. Although the coin changer will be describedin connection with the use of such coins, it will be appreciated, ofcourse, that it may be adapted for use with different coins. In additionto plate portions 2, 3 and 4 the frame 1 also includes a bottom plate11.

A motor 12 is mounted in a housing 12A at the left hand side of plate 2and is used to drive change-making mechanism which will be describedhereinafter. Mounted on plate 2 are a switch 13, closure of whichinitiates a vend cycle of the machine, a switch 14, closure of whichstarts motor 12 to dispense change, and a first solenoid 15,energization of which effects closure of switch 14. A second solenoid'16, energization of which effects movement of a slide 17 to alter theamount of change dispensed, is mounted in a housing 16A and a switch 18,closure of which effects energization of both first and second solenoidsand 16, is mounted behind switch 13. Switch 13 has a blade 19,depression of which closes the switch, and switch 18 has a blade 20 towhich is attached a lateral stepped blade 21, the lower portion 22 ofwhich underlies the blade 19 so that depression of blade 19 to apredetermined extent beyond the point at which it closes switch 13 willeffect depression of blade 20 to close switch 18 also.

The blade 19 is depressed in response to passage of a quarter throughthe changer. Thus, the quarter enters passage 8 and depresses a pin 23which overlies the blade 19 and is mounted near the end of an arm '24pivotally mounted at 25 on plate 2. Downward movement of the arm 24 islimited by a stop 26 mounted on plate 2 in the path of the outer end ofthe arm, so that the pin 23 can only depress blade 19 sufficientlytoclose switch 13 but not switch 18. On leaving the pin 23', the quarternext depresses the inwardly extending end 27 of arm 28 of switch 14 tostart motor 12 and dispense one dime in change, the machine being set upfor a fifteen-cent sale. The pin 23 extends through a curved slot 29 inplate 2 and end 27 of arm 28 extends through curved slot 30 in the sameplate.

The blade 19 is also depressed by any combination of dimes and/ornickels totalling at least fifteen cents inserted into the machine. Inthis case the depression is effected by means of the stepper of thepresent invention and the preferred embodiment of which is shown in FIG.1 in exploded view. The stepper shown includes a housing 31 fixedlymounted on plate 2 adjacent a curved slot 32 and housing a spring 33anchored at one end in the housing and having a free end 34 extendingfrom the housing. An axle 35 extends forwardly from the housing 31 and aratchet wheel 36 is rotatably mounted thereon, the ratchet wheel havingteeth 37 on part of its circumference as shown in the drawings, althoughit will be appreciated that the teeth could extend entirely around thecircumference if desired. The ratchet wheel is driven in a clockwisedirection by dogs 38 and 39 pivotally mounted on pivot pins 40 and 41,respectively, which are carried in forks 42 and 43. The forks extendupwardly from blocks 44 and 45 pivotally mounted on a shaft 46 whichextends forwardly from plate 2. Arm 47 extends from block 44 andterminates as an inturned end 48 which extends through a curved slot 49in plate 7 and into the nickel passage 10. Arm 50 extends from block 45and terminates in an inturned end 51 which extends through a curved slot52 in plate 7 and a similar slot in plate 6 and into the dime passage 9.Thus, a nickel falling through passage 10 or a dime falling throughpassage 9 will move the ratchet wheel by means of its associated dog,the dog 38 being smaller than the dog 39 so that it has to travelfurther than the dog 39 before engaging the teeth 37 and will move theratchet wheel by the width of one tooth only, whereas dog 39 moves thewheel by the width of two teeth. Each tooth, therefore, represents, inthe present case, five cents. The dogs are biased to the positions shownin FIG. 5 by having the heavier part of the blocks to the left of theshaft 46 or springs may be used for this purpose, if necessary, so thatthe dogs will return to the FIG. 5 positions after they have moved theratchet wheel.

The ratchet wheel is biased in a counter-clockwise direction by thespring 33, the free end 34 thereof engaging the inner end of a shaft 53which is mounted on the ratchet wheel and rotatably carries a smallroller 54. To avoid premature return of the ratchet wheel to itsstarting position shown in FIG. 5, after it has been moved from saidstarting position, a pawl 55 is provided, pivotally mounted on a shaft56 and urged into engagement with the teeth 37 by a spring 57, one endof which is passed through an aperture 5-8 in the pawl and the other endof which is anchored around a pin 59 secured to plate 2. The roller 54is carried with the ratchet wheel as the latter is moved, the rollerbeing aligned with the pawl and moving the pawl away from the ratchetwheel after the wheel has been moved a predetermined amount, in thepresent case between two and three tooth widths. Thus, when fifteencents worth of nickels and/or dimes has passed, the pawl will be out ofengagement with the teeth and the ratchet wheel will be free to returnto its initial position provided that it has been released by the dogsand provided that the pawl is held away from. the teeth in the meantime.Means is, in fact, provided for so holding the pawl, such means being inthe form of a latch bar 60 having a shoulder 61 adapted to fall in frontof a flange 62, extending laterally from the pawl, when the pawl ismoved away from the wheel. The latch bar is pivotally mounted on a shaft63 secured to plate 2 and has at its free end a forwardly extendingprojection 64 which is raised, as described later herein, to release thepawl as the wheel returns to its initial position.

Reference is made to FIGS. 4 and 6 for a clear showing of the operationof the stepper. The ratchet wheel, as shown, has a rearwardly extendingpin 65 which passes through slot 32 to overlie blade 19 and depress thelatter as the wheel is turned. The wheel also has a series of slots 66adapted selectively to receive the bend portion of a bent rod 67. Therod 67 has an eye portion 68 through which a screw 69 may be freelypassed and screwed into tapped bore 70 in the wheel, whereby the rod maybe secured to the wheel in a selected position. This rod cooperates witha rocker member 71 pivotally mounted on a pin 72 secured to plate 7. Themember 71 also cooperates with latch arm 60 or rather the projection 64thereon. Thus, the member 71 has an upwardly extending portion 73 whichis struck by rod 67 as the wheel returns to its initial position,thereby moving the rocker member from its lower limit position (FIG. 6)to its upper limit position (FIG. 5). These limit positions aredetermined by the ends 74, 75 of a recess 76 engaging a pin 77 fixed onplate 7. As the rocker member is moved from its lower to its upperposition it strikes projection 64 and raises arm 60 about its pivot '63,thereby releasing the pawl 55 to be returned into engagement with theteeth 37 of the ratchet wheel.

The provision of the plurality of slots 66 and the selective mounting ofthe rod 67 therein permit the machine to be changed readily to vend anarticle for a different price than fifteen cents. Thus, with the fourslots shown, the machine may be set for a ten-cent sale (rod 67 in slotat extreme right), fifteen-cent sale (as shown), twenty-cent sale (rodin slot second from left) or twenty-five-cent sale (rod in slot atextreme left). The position of the rod relative to the wheel sets theinitial position of the wheel since the rod cannot go in acounter-clockwise direction past the position shown in FIG. 5. Theinitial position of the wheel, of course, sets the initial positions ofpin 65 and roller 54 so that a greater or lesser turning of the wheelwill be required to depress blade 19 and move pawl 55 away from thewheel.

If, with the rod in the second slot from the right as shown, threenickels are inserted into the machine, the dog 38 will step the wheel bythe width of a tooth for each nickel, the pawl preventing the wheel fromreturning after the first or second step. During the third step the pin65 will depress blade 19 to close switch 13 and initiate the vending ofan article by the machine. Also during the third step the roller 54 willdisplace pawl 55 and latch bar 60 will fall to hold the pawl. As soon asthe dog 38 leaves the wheel after the third step, therefore, the wheelwill be free to be returned to its initial position by spring 33. Asdescribed above, the pawl is released as the wheel returns to itsinitial position and the stepper is then ready for a new operation. Itwill be noted that the motor 12 has not been used. The same applies if anickel and a dime are inserted into the machine, the only difference inthis case being that the dog 38 only advances the wheel by one tooth,the dog 39 advancing it by the other two teeth.

We now come to the special case where two dimes are inserted into themachine. It will be appreciated that the first dime will advance thewheel by two teeth by means of dog 39 and the pawl will hold the wheelagainst return movement. The second dime, however, will also advance thewheel by two teeth and displace the pawl. The extra advancement of thewheel is suificient to cause depression of blade 20 and, hence closureof switch 18. This having been done, the dog 39 will leave the wheel andthe latter will be returned to its initial position as described above.Closure of the switch 18, however, energizes solenoids and 16. Plunger78 is pulled down on energization of solenoid 15, so that an arm 79extending laterally from the plunger will depress switch arm 28 to startmotor 12. Motor 12 drives a shaft 80 to the lower end of which isattached a member 81 underneath plate 11. A spring rod 82 is attached atone end to member 81 and at the other end to a pin 83 on a slide 84above plate 11, whereby rotation of shaft 80 will effect rearward andforward reciprocation of the slide 84. The slide 84 has apertures 85 and86 for receiving, respectively, a nickel and a dime from the storagetubes for nickels and dimes (not shown) normally provided in coinchangers. The base plate 11 has a rectangular aperture 87 therein,through which change is dispensed to be delivered to the purchaser bywellknown chute means (not shown). A slide 17 is mounted for lateralreciprocation in said aperture 87 and is normally biased by spring 89 tothe left-hand side of aperture 87 as the latter is shown in FIG. 3.Thus, ordinary reciprocation of slide 84 will result in a dime beingdispensed from the dime tube via apertures 86 and 87. However, onenergization of solenoid 16 the triangular member 90 is rotated in acounter-clockwise direction about pivot pin 91 and, via linkage members92, 93 and 94, pulls slide 17 to the right to cover aperture 86 andexposure aperture 85, whereby a nickel is dispensed rather than a dime.The slide 17 is held in the right-hand position, in which it is shown inFIG. 3', by a catch 95, until the latter is struck by the member 81towards the end of a complete revolution of shaft 80, whereupon thespring 89 returns the slide 17 to its normal position. The catch 95 isurged toward the position shown in FIG. 3 by a spring rod or leaf 96.the action of which is obvious from FIG. 3.

From the above it will be seen that a quarter inserted into the machinewill initiate a vend cycle and actuate the change dispensing mechanismto deliver a dime as change to the user of the machine, the slide 17remaining in its normal position to the left hand side of aperture 87 asseen in FIG. 3. Fifteen cents inserted into the machine, either in theform of three nickels or one nickel and one dime, will initiate a vendcycle but will not actuate the change dispensing mechanism. Two dimesinserted into the machine will initiate a vend cycle, actuate the changedispensing mechanism and, in addition, move slide 17 to ensure that anickel is delivered as change, rather than a dime. With a quarter, thestepper is not used at all, with fifteen cents the ratchet wheel isadvanced three teeth and then returned automatically to its initialposition and with twenty cents the ratchet wheel is advanced four teethand then returned automatically to its initial position. In no case,therefore, does the ratchet wheel have to go through a completerevolution and it never has to rely upon motor 12 to return it to itsinitial position. The motor 12, consequently, is used only whennecessary for dispensing change and the stepper is used only whensmaller denomination coins are inserted into the machine, both stepperand motor, therefore, being subject to minimum wear and tear.

It will be appreciated that the present invention may be embodied inmachines which dispense tickets rather than beverages or like articlesand that the term vending machines" is intended to cover all machineswhich deliver something to the purchaser in response to insertion intothe machine of coins or tokens amounting at least to a minimumprescribed value.

What I claim as my invention is:

-1. Coin-controlled apparatus for use in a vending machine, saidapparatus comprising a first switch adapted, when closed, to initiatevending of an article by the machine, a second switch adapted, whenclosed, to initiate the dispensing of change by the machine, aswitchactuating member for actuating said first and second switches, amovable member biased toward a first position, said switch-actuatingmember being mounted on said movable member, coin-actuated means formoving the movable member away from said first position, a retainingmember biased toward the movable member and adapted when in engagementtherewith to hold the movable member against movement toward said firstposition, means on said movable member adapted to move said retainingmember away from the movable member after a predetermined amount ofmovement of said movable member away from said first position, holdingmeans adapted to engage and hold said retaining member away from themovable member to allow the latter to return to said first position, andrelease means adapted to be actuated by said movable member on return tosaid first position and to release said holding means whereby theretaining member may return into engagement with the movable member,said first switch being mounted to be actuable by said switch actuatingmember when said movable member has reached the point at whichtheretaining member is moved away from the movable member, said secondswitch being mounted to be actuable only upon movement of said movablemember by a predetermined amount past the point at which the retainingmember is moved away from the movable member.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including an element for actuatingsaid release means, and mounting means adjustably mounting said elementon the movable member whereby said first position may be varied to varythe amount of coinage required to operate the vending mechanism of themachine.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said movable member istoothed and said retaining member is a pawl.

4. Stepper mechanism as claimed in claim 1, said movable membercomprising a ratchet wheel, the ratchet wheel being biassed in onedirection about its axis, said coin-actuated means being dog means formoving the ratchet wheel in the opposite direction, said retainingmember being a pawl engageable with teeth on said ratchet wheel forholding the wheel against return movement in said one direction, saidpawl being biassed toward the ratchet wheel, said means on said movablemember being means on said ratchet wheel adapted to engage said pawl andmove it away from the ratchet wheel as the ratchet wheel is rotated insaid opposite direction a predetermined angular amount, said holdingmeans being adapted for engaging said pawl and holding it away from saidratchet wheel, trip means being provided on said ratchet wheel foractuating said release means in a predetermined position of said wheelto allow said pawl to return into engagement with the ratchet wheel.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said trip means comprises amember adjustably mounted on the ratchet wheel, whereby the cost ofpurchasing an article from the machine may be varied.

6. The combination claimed in claim 4, including change dispensingmechanism having a slide movable to alter the amount of change to bedispensed, a motor for driving said change dispensing mechanism, a firstsolenoid adapted to be energised to start said motor by actuation of athird switch upon actuation of said second switch, and a second solenoidadapted to be energised to move said slide upon actuation of said secondswitch.

7. The combination claimed in claim 6, including a furtherswitch-actuating member adapted to be moved by a larger denominationcoin passing through the machine, and stop means for limiting themovement of said further switch-actuating member so that it may actuatethe first switch but not the second switch, said third switch being inthe path of travel of the larger denomination coin, the arrangementbeing such that the larger denomination coin may actuate the first andthird switches without actuating the stepper mechanism.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,923,165 2/1960 Patzer 194.022,973,076 2/1961 Hatcher 19410 3,406,803 10/1968 Offutt et a1 1941OXSAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner

